Review: 3000 mAh Mugen Power battery for the Nokia 808 PureView

Posted by
marc wielaert on Tuesday, 15 January 2013

How much is there one can write about a battery? Usually it's just something you replace because the original one is losing it's power. When you're lucky you have an "old-fashioned" phone with the possibility to exchange the battery yourself - than you can use a second battery as a spare for another round of power (I know several users enjoying that possibility).

I tried the Mugen Power battery for the Nokia 808 PureView for a few weeks - maybe even two months by now. And there's a lot more than I ever imagined to write about something "basic" as a battery.

First, in the package, you'll find a list with charging instructions and battery care. That shows you'll have to be disciplined to get the most out of this battery. For the first 4 to 5 charges, you'll have to make sure you charge it for at least 8 till 12 hours - so preferably at night.

After each charge, you should use your device "as normal" (whatever that is) and recharge it when it warns you the remaining capacity is very low. And be sure to never drain the battery completely. And this already is more than I've ever written before about a battery. But there's more.

This 3000 mAh battery is of course huge and it won't fit into the Nokia 808 PureView unless with a seperate back cover. The one sent to me was white, but Mugen has them in a black and even red version as well - so all colors you can buy your Nokia 808 PureView in (though I'm still looking for the
red version - anyone?).

It's also a way to get your Nokia 808 in "dual tone" (black and white), like I did.

Let there be no mistake: the Nokia 808 PureView is already a pretty thick smartphone to modern standards, and this battery will make it even thicker - like it's completely unaware of any design at all.

The next close-up will give you a good idea about the difference in size between the original Nokia 808 PureView and the one with the Mugen Power battery.

See what I mean? Moreover, the white version is more the greyish "mother-of-pearl" kind of white, so combining it with your white Nokia 808 might not be the best idea. Here's quite an accurate shot of the subtle difference in color.

Using the Nokia 808 with the Mugen Power battery attached, you'll get used to its size and weight. When you pick up an original Nokia 808 PureView after a while, that suddenly seems thin and light as a feather (more or less) - and yes, the original design is much better too, no doubt. But this is not about design.

How does it perform? Well, quite simple: it will keep your Nokia 808 PureView alive for much longer than the original battery, no doubt either. Of course, standby time always depends on usage - and to copy shots I made, I've been connecting it to my PC in between charges, if only for a short time.

Nevertheless, I know I didn't need to charge it for somewhere around a week, whereas I needed to recharge after a few days with the original battery. In other words, this thing is a monster in many ways.

It will ruin the original design of your Nokia 808 PureView - but taste is personal and maybe you don't care too much about design. It will make it at lot heavier - but maybe you don't care about weight either. Last but not least, it will keep your Nokia 808 PureView alive for much longer (provided you follow the instructions as described above).

One more thing on the positive side: many people think you will not be able to use NFC anymore when you use this battery. Not true. It has a NFC chip built in the back cover, and it works exactly the same as the original one.

Would I advise you to buy the Mugen Power 3000 mAh battery, providing you can afford it?

In general, the standby-time of the original battery is way better than almost every other modern smartphone. So if you are an "average" user and surrounded by power sockets at home and at work just in case, you'll most likely manage.

But if you use your Nokia 808 intensively, if you don't care for weight and design too much, if you know you're going to be on a trip for a longer time, or if you just don't want to worry about it - and if you can afford it - I'd say: go for it.

I belong to the category that "doesn't want to worry about it", and this battery has really surprised me. Combining the low power consumption of Nokia Belle Feature Pack 2 with a battery like this, you'll keep your Nokia 808 PureView online for much longer than you're used to, that's for sure.

But to be completely honest, it certainly looks and feels better to hold the original Nokia 808 PureView. So it's a matter of taste, as it often is. If you really need the power, here's the link to
Mugen.